When Prince William's Ex Forced Him to Admit He Was Dating Kate Middleton During a Drinking Game
Princess Catherine and Prince Williams were college heartthrobs, and often spotted together but the duo had no plans to openly acknowledge their relationship until a common friend urged them to. The story of their college romance was revealed during a drinking game 'Never Have I Ever,' with the Prince of Wales' ex-girlfriend being the mastermind behind the bombshell revelation.
Author Robert Jobson detailed the whole incident in his biographical book on Kate Middleton titled, Catherine: The Princess of Wales. During a dinner party, which was attended by the royal couple and their friends, the Prince's ex-girlfriend, Carly Massy-Birch "unwittingly exposed William’s secret love affair with Catherine." Jobson cited that a fellow royal family author, Katie Nicholl, who wrote, Kate: The Future Queen, had excerpts of the night. According to the NY Post, it read, "[Massy-Birch] announced, ‘I’ve never dated two people in this room,’ knowing full well that William was the only one who had because Kate was sitting next to him." Although the couple was inseparable on their college campus, William was irked by Carly's statement and said, "I can’t believe you just said that."
Noting about the couple's college days in St. Andrews, Jobson writes, "They could often be spotted walking or cycling to lectures, browsing the aisles of the local Safeway supermarket, or spending quiet evenings at home, listening to William’s R&B tracks or [their friend] Fergus’s jazz on their music systems." He added, "Their routine rarely deviated during the week, except for Wednesday afternoons when they indulged in sports." In their 2010 engagement interview, the Prince told Tom Bradby, "When I first met Kate, I knew there was something very special about her, and then I knew there was possibly something I wanted to explore there, but we ended up being friends for a while."
Who is Carly Massy-Birch, the ‘country bumpkin’ society beauty and close friend of Prince William and Kate Middleton who revealed the two were dating at a university party https://t.co/PK42eCWiA0 pic.twitter.com/am79xUDqfB
— Tatler (@Tatlermagazine) August 7, 2024
"That was a good sort of foundation. I do genuinely believe now that being friends with [each other] is a massive advantage," he added. Speaking about their short break away from each other, the Princess of Wales shared, "I at the time wasn't very happy about it, but actually it made me a stronger person. You find out things about yourself that maybe you hadn't realized — I think you can get quite consumed by a relationship when you're younger — and I really valued that time for me, as well."
Smile some more like #Catherine #PrincessCatherine #KateMiddleton #PrincessofWales #MeghanMarkleEXPOSED #MeghanMarkleAmericanPsycho pic.twitter.com/LKGpeEyETY
— Duchess of Leeds (@APR360_PR) August 8, 2024
The royal couple wedded each other in 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London. According to People, a close friend of the pair opined, "They look after each other but in different ways. [Kate] brings a sense of ordinariness that William has always craved." The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have three children together, Prince George, born in 2013, Princess Charlotte, born in 2015, and Prince Louis, born in 2018.